Discovery by Spooky Nyman

My magic is challenging my Helper to exercise his intuition. Discovery allows me to set one of six poker chips aside, ask the Helper to guess, and immediately show what is left in my hand is missing the very one he chose! Then I reach into my pocket and bring out the chosen chip. Very simple, inexplicable, and layered with deceptive implications. It is a perfect effect for me.

I like this, I do. I do not like the over 30 minute video explanation that features drawn-out-to-the-breaking-point performances and drawn-out-beyond-the-breaking-point explanations. This is a simple trick with a simple, easily understood premise. It does NOT need the window dressing of a Las Vegas illusion. Think of a number from one to six. Wow! That’s the same number I predicted. A good effect weakened on the video by infused drama it can’t sustain. But so be it. Everyone has his own style. Melodrama doesn’t work for me, and it doesn’t work for the trick as presented in the video. But that’s NOTHING compared to the explanation wherein the presenter insistently and repetitively harps on such details as how the chips should be presented. He takes OVER A MINUTE to explain they should be presented face down. I’ll spare you the details of other self-indulgent bloviations. The essentials of the workings of the trick are simple and easily explained in a sentence or two — better in writing than on video. (I know, in the 21st century no one writes when they can talk.)That said, the good news is that the video is downloadable, the better news is you’ll only have to watch it once.The best news of all is that this isn’t a bad trick. The workings might seem obvious but are hidden by a subtlety I hadn’t expected. Nice.